The Immigration Department announced today (December 4) that with effect from December 5, an e-Channel equipped with voice navigation function will be in operation at both the arrival hall and the departure hall of the Lo Wu Control Point (LWCP), with a view to enabling visually impaired persons to perform self-service immigration clearance. They will be able to locate the voice-navigated e-Channels by using the Braille maps installed at the LWCP and follow the tactile guided paths leading to the e-Channels for self-service immigration clearance.

     The voice-navigated e-Channel service was first introduced at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point in September 2013. Currently, the service is available at the Macau Ferry Terminal Control Point, the Shenzhen Bay Control Point, the China Ferry Terminal Control Point, the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point to enable visually impaired persons to enjoy self-service immigration clearance service. During the development and testing processes of the voice-navigated e-Channel system, the Immigration Department maintained close liaison with organisations in connection with visually impaired persons to collect feedback on the system's operation and implementation, so as to provide greater convenience for visually impaired persons.

     For more details on the usage of the voice-navigated e-Channel service, please visit the website of the Immigration Department at www.immd.gov.hk.

     The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) today (December 4) released Serious Incident Bulletin 6/2018 in relation to an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft (registration mark VT-ANE) which deviated from the normal glide path when descending to Runway 07R, resulting in a go-around, that occurred on October 20, 2018, at Hong Kong International Airport.

     A spokesperson for the AAIA said that the bulletin contains information relating to the serious incident collected up to the time of issue, and must be regarded as tentative.

     "The AAIA will continue to collect and study all relevant information in order to determine the circumstances and causes of the serious incident. More in-depth investigation and analysis have to be conducted before any conclusion can be drawn," the spokesperson said.

     The full Serious Incident Bulletin 6/2018 is available for download from the AAIA webpage (www.thb.gov.hk/aaia/eng/investigation_reports/index.htm).    

     Three women were fined $2,000 to $15,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts and the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (December 4) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in April and May this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected three suspected unlicensed guesthouses on Kam Shan in Tai Po, Shelley Street in Central and Paterson Street in Causeway Bay. During the inspections, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented rooms in these guesthouses on a daily basis.
      
     According to the OLA's records, these guesthouses did not possess licences under the Ordinance on the days of inspection. The women responsible for managing the premises were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
      
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".
    

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Vocational Training Council (VTC) graduation ceremony this afternoon (December 4):

Dr Chung (VTC Council Chairman, Dr Roy Chung), Dr Yau (Executive Director of the VTC, Dr Carrie Yau), honorary fellows, graduates, proud parents, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

     Good afternoon.

     It gives me great honour to be here today for the annual graduation ceremony of the Vocational Training Council. 

     I must say the VTC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, led by Dr Henry Shek, gave us all great pleasure in their stirring performance to begin today's ceremony.

     Let me now congratulate today's graduates. You have just completed a critical stage in your life. A milestone we are delighted to recognise, and honour, on this happy day. 

     Your graduation, as hard-won as it surely was, is however a beginning rather than an end. Certainly this marks the beginning of a career for many of you, but it is also a marker in what will be a life-long pursuit of learning, of broadening your knowledge, and of expanding your life experience.   

     I look out at you this afternoon and I see, among the 3,000 or so students gathered here, parents and family members. I also see many teachers and others who have, in any number of ways, helped make this day possible for our graduates. In short, graduation is surely a collective honour, and I applaud you all. 

     I applaud, as well, for the six outstanding and distinguished leaders of industries who will be receiving the 2018 VTC Honorary Fellowship today. We are grateful for your significant contributions to the community and the development of vocational training in Hong Kong. You are truly role models to our graduates.

     The VTC has since 1982 provided education and training for more than 200,000 students each year, giving Hong Kong youth the professional skills and knowledge for meeting the changing needs of our economy and the industries and businesses that drive it. 

     Thanks to VTC's efforts, 21,000 young men and women are graduating on this good day. Some 18,000 of them were full-time students. And they come from seven of VTC's 13 member institutions. 

     May I also take this opportunity to congratulate that, just a month ago, VTC officially opened its brand-new, state-of-the-art International Culinary Institute. Designed for some 2,000 students, the new Culinary Institute includes training kitchens and a training café, a wine forum, a hall of gastronomy, a sensory lab for food science education and much more. 

     As VTC marches on to nurture more of our youth, it has the Government's firm support. The current-term Government is fully committed to investing in education and manpower development. We believe this is essential to economic growth, social mobility and overall prosperity – for Hong Kong and for each and every one of you. 

     This Government has already introduced a variety of measures to boost education at every level. For the Vocational and Professional Education and Training sector, we are increasing recurrent funding to the VTC by HK$100 million a year.  

     An additional sum of HK$234 million will be provided to the VTC to expand its Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Students of Professional Part-time Programmes. 

     More than financial resources, of course, the VTC's success is predicated on its professionalism and its tireless commitment to education, to our youth and to Hong Kong. For that, and so much more, I am truly grateful. 

     My congratulations, once again, to our graduates. I wish you all every success in your career aspirations, in realising your goals, whatever they may be.

     Now allow me to add a few words in Chinese.

     â€‹A waste collector (Sheung Yip Electrical Metal) and a data systems engineering company (Enviro-Tech Engineering Company Limited) illegally produced, collected and stored waste lead-acid batteries (WLABs) and waste mineral oil. They were fined a total of $25,000 at Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (December 4) for contravening the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO) and the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation.
      
     During an enforcement operation in May this year, staff of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) found that the waste collector concerned collected WLABs from a data centre located at North Point Industrial Building, and transported the WLABs to an open recycling site in Yuen Long. About 400 (20 tonnes) WLABs and 30 drums (6 tonnes) of waste mineral oil were found being stored at the recycling site. After investigation and evidence gathering, the EPD confirmed that the waste collector illegally collected and stored WLABs and waste mineral oil at the open recycling site and resold them for a profit. The data systems engineering company concerned did not register the location for producing chemical waste (the data centre at North Point Industrial Building) as a chemical waste producer in accordance with the statutory requirement. The EPD subsequently prosecuted the waste collector and the data systems engineering company under the WDO and the Regulation.
      
     The EPD spokesman said that WLABs (containing sulphuric acid and lead) and waste mineral oil are classified as chemical waste and relevant parties should register with the EPD as chemical waste producers in accordance with the Regulation. Chemical waste must be properly packaged, labelled and stored, and has to be collected by licensed chemical waste collectors for delivery to licensed chemical waste disposal facilities for treatment. 
      
     The spokesman said, "The EPD has recently sent letters to practitioners in the installation and maintenance of information systems, data centres and telecommunication industry to remind members of the trade that they should register as chemical waste producers for locations where WLABs are generated (such as locations with a data centre or a computer server system). Licensed chemical waste collectors should also be hired to deliver the waste to licensed chemical waste disposal facilities for treatment."
      
     Anyone who engages in the illegal collection, storage and disposal of chemical waste will be prosecuted. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment. For subsequent offences, offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and two years' imprisonment.
      
     Members of the public may visit the EPD's website for more information about the control of chemical waste: www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/guide_ref/guide_cwc.html.